"We had a chance, my wife and I had a chance to go down and be there for homecoming on our bye week, and it was an outstanding opportunity to get a chance to go and see them. That was good.''

Singletary, who played for Baylor from 1977-'80, turned down a chance to coach the Bears before the job was offered to Briles. Asked if it could have worked out any better for him and Baylor, Singletary said:

"I'll put it this way. Even then, if I didn't get this job (with the 49ers), I just think everything works out for a reason and the most important thing that we can do in life is the best that we can.

"I've got no regrets. I don't look back and go, "Man, I wish I had done this differently or done that.' I try to do the best I can every day as I go forward. I do believe that everything really works out for the better.''

Singletary played for Grant Teaff at Baylor and said he uses some of his former coach's teachings with the 49ers.

"There's a lot of Coach Teaff in me,'' Singletary said. "Coach Teaff taught me how to be a man, taught me how to be a father, taught me how to set goals, taught me how to be myself.

"But at the same time he taught me a lot about leadership, he taught me about being a husband, and he taught me how to be a Christian man.''

Singletary, 1-2 as the 49ers' interim coach, said Teaff will always be someone he leans on.

"Coach Teaff is like my dad,'' he said. "He's somebody that I continue to talk to and visit with on a regular basis.''